Barlow To Retire - 88th Air Base Wing to Get New Commander.

Wright Patterson Air Force Base is getting a new commander. After a 26-year career in the Air Force, Col. Cassie Barlow, has announced she will retire.

The reigns of Wright-Patt’s 88th Air Base Wing will be taken over by Col. John Devillier during a change of command ceremony scheduled for July 17 at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force.

The 88th is one of the largest air base wings in the Air Force, putting more than 5,000 military, civilian, and contractor employees under Devillier’s command. He currently serves as the Air Force Mortuary Affairs Operations commander at Dover Air Force Base, in Delaware.

Barlow has served as wing commander since July 17, 2012.

Col. Cassie Barlow at a 2013 press conference.

Credit Jerry Kenney

According to Wright-Patt, The 88th wing "provides support and services to one of the largest, most diverse, and most organizationally complex bases in the Air Force including a major acquisition center, research and development laboratories, a major command headquarters, an airlift wing, and the world's largest military air museum. The base is home to more than 27,000 employees and is the largest single site employer in the state of Ohio."

According the Wright-Patt, Col. John M. Devillier is Commander, AFMAO has global responsibility for all Air Force mortuary matters for current and past conflicts, operates the nation's sole port mortuary, and provides global contingency mortuary response teams in support of Air Force and combatant command requirements. The mortuary also serves as the single focal point for all Air Force mortuary affairs and survivor assistance matters under the Deputy Chief of Staff, Manpower, Personnel and Services, Headquarters Air Force.

Colonel Devillier is a 1993 graduate of officer training school and is a career force support officer having served in a variety of positions at Wing, Staff, Joint, and Headquarters Air Force levels.

Prior to serving in his current command, he was the Commander, 466th Air Expeditionary Group, Afghanistan.